Low-pressure area in the Bay may intensify into depression by January 31, says IMD
The Hindu
The system, rare in January, may reach the Sri Lankan coast by February 1; minimum temperature likely to drop by one or two degrees in some pockets of Tamil Nadu on Saturday
In a rare phenomenon in January, a weather system over Southeast Bay of Bengal is likely to gain strength as depression by month end. It may bring light to moderate rain over coastal Tamil Nadu from Sunday onwards, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, has announced that a low-pressure area has formed over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining East Equatorial Indian Ocean on Friday.
It may intensify into a well-marked low-pressure area in the next two days and gain strength as a depression around January 31 over southwest Bay of Bengal. The weather system may reach near Sri Lankan coast around February 1.
It would bring light to moderate rain and trigger a warmer night temperature, which would be influenced by cloudy sky and increased moisture content in the air, over coastal parts of Tamil Nadu from Sunday. Rain would be limited to one or two places of north coastal areas and Puducherry on Sunday. Rain would become more scattered over coastal areas and adjoining districts on Monday and cover other places of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, the officials said.
Meanwhile, isolated pockets of the State may experience a dip in minimum temperature by two or three degree Celsius on Saturday as the weather system is far away. On Friday, Tamil Nadu experienced a dry weather with no rain reported till 5.30 p.m.
S. Balachandran, Additional Director General of Meteorology, Chennai, said sometimes, weather systems form at a low latitude near equator region during winter. However, weather systems of such intensity are less frequent in January compared to other seasons of the year.
“We have had weather systems that have intensified beyond depression and even cyclonic storms over the Bay of Bengal in the past. About 20 weather systems have formed over the Bay in January since 1891. Of these, nearly 5 weather systems have come close to Tamil Nadu coast,” he said.
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